Boxing Day Report
Ho, ho, ho and all that jazz.
Another Christmas survived. We did the immediate-family gift exchange thing (Laura, Allie and Yours Truly) at a very respectable 11-ish (Thank the gods for teenagers and their propensity for sleeping in, even on Christmas), then puttered about the place until 3, when we headed over to Laura’s folk’s place for the extended family gathering. Pretty much felt isolated and alone most of the evening–these people have very little in common with Laura, apart from blood relation, so you can imagine the effort that they make towards making me feel included. Found myself again explaining, as I do at every one of these gatherings (and usually to the same people), exactly what it is that I do for a living. Saw Laura’s Dad out of the corner of my eye, shaking his head in his usual disapproving fashion. I think I should be congratulated for not stopping in mid-sentence, turning to face him and asking if there was some problem….but these are the same folks who, earlier this month, asked me if I was “even looking for a job,” so I’ve pretty much written it off as a No-Win situation. I give up.
Swag-wise, it was a Very Merry Geekmas for me, as I scored (via various sources):
- The DC Comics Encyclopedia
- Odder Jobs (the second collection of Hellboy short stories
- The much-anticipated Return of the King Extended Edition DVD
- The complete Indiana Jones DVD boxed set
- The Star Wars Trilogy DVD boxed set
- Conan: The Complete Quest–both Conan movies on DVD in a slipcase
- Cityworks, Darkness & Dread and The Monster’s Handbook (D20 hardcovers grabbed with Parental-XMas-Cash)
…and non-geek-specific swag like a nifty shirt in burgundy suede, a new belt, etc.
Best Christmas gift of all, though, was the fact that Adamant Entertainment has had it’s best month ever…sales have more than doubled last month’s total, and have already exceeded the lofty ceiling that I had been shooting for…and there’s still a week left in the month. It looks like 2005 is going to be a good year.